Sun City Carolina Lakes Thanksgiving update

What you need to know about Sun City Carolina Lakes right now...

The pace of sales at Sun City Carolina Lakes continues to be unprecedented giving it the title of the fastest selling community by Del Webb east of the Mississippi!  With that in mind, let me give you some quick updates as to what is happening out there.  I will break it down by collection to make it a little bit easier to navigate but please note that ALL PHASES HAVE BEEN RELEASED FOR SALE!  This means that there will be no more new phases of homes at Sun City Carolina Lakes!

River Collection - This collection includes the Fox Run, Gray Myst and Pine Spring floor plans.  As home sites in this collection continue to sell quickly and are rapidly running out, price increases for the homes in this collection are going up with every 5 or so homes sold!  There are some home sites remaining that have yet to be released but not many.  If you are interested in one of these floor plans and would like to build a new home, please let me know right away so that I can get you the most up to date information possible regarding availability!

Summit Collection - This collection includes the Copper Ridge, Surrey Crest, Vernon Hill, Tifton Walk and Willow Bend floor plans.  These homes can be built with optional lofts or basements as well, depending on home site availability.  Basement homes in this collection are almost sold out forever, only a few remain! There are a couple of basement sites available in Phase 1 as well as Phase 4.  The two newest phases, 8 and 6, will not have any basement sites at all.  Phase 8 has been selling on record pace as of late so please contact me for the latest information.  As phase 6 is the final Summit phase of Sun City, the base prices in that section are about $5000 higher than previous phases.  8 homes have already sold in this phase that was just released towards the end of October.  Please see the burgundy section of the map below for phase 6 sites.   

Manor Collection - This collection includes the Crestwood Meadow, Cumberland Hall and Morningside Lane floor plans. Phase 3 is the last opportunity to purchase a Manor Collection home at lower base prices.  Based on the current sales pace, it is projected that Phase 3 will be sold out around May/June of 2015.  The final phase of Manor Collection homes, Phase 7, has been released for sale.  These homes are known as Manor Estate homes as they have many more included features in the homes.  As a result, these homes have a significantly higher base price than previous phases of Manor Collection Homes.  This phase was just released recently and has already sold 5 homes!  Please see the gold section of the map below for sites in Phase 7.

As you can tell, things are moving right along at Sun City Carolina Lakes!  I certainly would hate for you to miss out on an opportunity to purchase a new home in this amazing neighborhood.  Please contact me with any questions that you may have about the availability of sites, homes or any questions in general about the building process.  I am more than happy to help you in any way that I can!

Stage coaches are making a comeback!

Ok, so we really mean a different kind of stage coach.  There are people out there that are willing to coach you when it comes to staging your home.  Whether it be a home staging professional or just that friend or family member that has the decorating flare, now is the time to give them a call.  As we have mentioned before, you only get one chance to make a first impression.  Now that we have discussed making the most of your curb appeal, it is time to address (or redress) the inside of your home!  There are a few things that you can do that will make a world of difference in the eyes of a buyer.  The good news for you is that most of them can be done at little or no cost. 

1. So fresh and so clean! - Nothing will turn a buyer off faster than seeing dusty blinds, crumbs in the sink or cobwebs at the ceiling.  Would you want to move into a home that feels dirty? It is extremely important to have a clean and fresh smelling home.  Make sure prior to any showings that the home has been dusted, vacuumed and all counter tops have been wiped down.  If this means that you have to ask for an hour or two notice prior to showings that's fine.  I am sure your agent would rather you show a clean home than a dirty one.  If you are planning on going out and buying some air fresheners that is ok but keep it simple. Vanilla or fresh linen scented fresheners are good choices.  Make sure that they are not turned up to the highest level and that you don't have too many or it will seem as though you are trying to mask some other odor issue. 

2. Kill the clutter bug! - You want your home to look as spacious as possible and you want people to focus on the home itself and not your stuff.  Stow away items from your kitchen and bathroom counters.  Those toaster ovens and coffee pots tend to take up a lot of counter space. Try not to have more than 3 items on counter tops, dressers etc.  Also, this is a fantastic time to get those closets cleaned out and make some trips to Goodwill with anything that you don't use or wear.  Another good idea is to remove personal pictures from the home whenever possible.  Remember you want buyer's concentrating on the home not Billy's baseball picture from last season. 

3. Keeping it neutral! - Not everyone has the same tastes and you want to appeal to as many buyers as possible.  An easy way to do this is to keep bright and patterned colors to yourself.  Any rooms that have bright walls or outdated wallpaper should be repainted a neutral color.  This is a relatively inexpensive way to change the entire look of a room. Shades of beige are always a good choice in my opinion.  The same thing would apply to brightly patterned furniture or bedding.  Consider buying a neutral slip cover or duvet cover.  It may not be your taste, but it would appeal to the masses and keep the buyer's eyes on your home.  Remember that this is only temporary and you can pull those fun and brightly colored items back out once your home is sold and you are on to your next home.

Other quick tips:  Consider buying fresh towels to hang on towel bars especially in the master bathroom.  Also think about replacing any old or outdated light fixtures and lamps.  You can often find clearance items at the big box stores or places like Homegoods. 

If you have questions about what you should do, contact your real estate agent for help.  As we are out looking at other homes everyday we have a good idea about the things that you can do to get the most bang for your buck!

Does your house look "money"?

Getting ready to sell your home?  Great!  Let's talk about one of the most important things people need to consider when selling their home!

You may think that I am talking about staging the inside of the home.  While that is extremely important (so much so that you will see a blog about it very soon), it is not what I am referring to right now.  I am talking about curb appeal.


Curb appeal is the key to making a great first impression.

The definition of curb appeal is how your home shows from the street.  Let's think this through.  If someone doesn't like the outside of your home, what do you think the chances are that they are going to even step through the door?  I promise you that the chances are slim.  They will just cruise on down the road to the next house.  Shops have fancy signs and window displays to entice you to come in and check out their merchandise, right?  It is because they want you to buy something.  You need to do the same thing for potential buyers of your home.

With that said, let's take a look at some things that you can do to entice buyers to come in and check out your home.

1. Pressure wash your home!  The last thing that a buyer wants to see is mildew growing on your vinyl siding.  This also goes for those of you with all brick homes.  I guarantee your trimwork and gutters could use a good scrubbing.  You wouldn't want to buy someone else's dirt would you?

2. Declutter the yard!  The same rules apply for outside the home as for inside.  Removing toys, excess or broken furniture and yard ornaments will help the yard seem larger and more usable.  Buyers will be able to envision spending time with their friends and family there. 

3. Cut the grass!  Make sure that the yard is kept neat and trimmed (just like your hair).  This means raking up any leaves, trimming the bushes and edging.  Look at your flower beds.  Do they need fresh mulch or pine needles?  Plant some pretty flowers in pots by the front door.  Don't get carried away with the flowers though.  One pot on either side of the front door is sufficient in most cases.

4. Freshen up windows and doors!  Are your windows covered in grime?  Wash them.  Are your shutters and front door faded?  Paint them a pretty, tastefully chosen color that corresponds with your house color.  When choosing a color for the shutters, be sure not to choose anything too bright or wild.  Remember, you want to appeal to as many buyers as possible.

5. Fix cracks!  If you have cracks or holes in your driveway or sidewalk, patch the holes and apply sealant.  Buyers don't want to see something that they are going to have to fix before they even get to the front door.

These simple tips will help you improve your curb appeal.  Now you have them coming through your door.  Next time we will talk about what to do once they are inside!

"To build, or not to build", that is the question, Part II

The second part of this blog entry deals with the remaining list of items to consider before deciding whether or not to build new.  Let's take a look...

3. Living with Construction - I am sure that the section title alone brings about all kinds of moans and groans.  It is true that living with new construction all around you isn't always fun, but let's take a realistic look at what you can expect.  The first and most obvious issue that comes to mind is the noise.  Most of the consistent noise happens during the framing of a home.  Depending on the builder and the size of homes that are being constructed in your neighborhood this may only occur for a week or two per house.  After that is finished, everything should remain relatively quiet for a while with only the occasional saw or nail gun being used.  Keep in mind that you will have a few days here and there that will be rather noisy. After all the yard needs to be graded and a concrete truck will need to put in a driveway or patio.  Don't worry, this too shall pass.

Another thing to consider is the fact that any amenities your community has may or may not be completed by the time that you move into your home.  For me this was not an issue.  I used the time that I would have spent at the pool that first summer working on household projects and getting everything situated exactly as I wanted it.  There were several projects that my husband and I wanted to do on our own rather than paying the builder to do them and there were certain things that we wanted to do that weren't offered at all.  For instance, our builder did not offer custom painting.  We chose to do much of the painting ourselves rather than opting to higher someone else.  We saved ourselves quite a lot of money that way too! 

The last thing in regards to living with construction would be the dust and dirt issue.  If you drive a white or black car, plan on spending some time with the sponge and hose or get to know the guys down at the local car wash.   Honestly, who keeps their car that sparkly all of the time anyway?  My other tip would be to choose an exterior color for your home that isn't white or very light.  You won't notice the dust so much.  Although, if your dream home is white with black shutters and a red door then by all means build it that way.  You will just need to get it pressure washed every so often.  If you take a look at it though, none of these things is anything that would cost you very much at all.  And all of these things have the potential to be heavily outweighed by the benefits of building new.  So here comes the big one...

4. Value - The majority of builders out there are offering incentives to build or buy with them.  Some builders have even reduced their base pricing significantly in lieu of offering huge promotions.  If a builder has an inventory home sitting, you can often get an amazing deal that way too.  You have to understand that they don't want to have to continue paying for that home themselves month after month.  The downside to an inventory home is that in most cases depending upon how complete it is, you haven't had the ability to make the selections for the home yourself.  Builders usually offer their best deals at the very beginning of a community.  They want to get some homes up and going right away to attract more business and therefore will often offer big incentives to the first few buyers.  Everyone wins! The bottom line is that unless you are considering the hassle of purchasing a short sale or a foreclosure you can often get a better price on a new home than on a comparable resale simply because the builder more than likely has more room to budge than a homeowner. 

Another bit of helpful information to know is that most builders try to build in phases.  Building in phases is great for you because it means you are generally only exposed to construction in your area of the neighborhood (or phase) for a certain period of time. When the builder is finished with that section of the neighborhood, they move on to another phase and the noise and dust generally goes with them.  I speak on this subject from personal experience.  Our first home was only the third house built in the entire neighborhood.  You may wonder why in the world someone would want to be one of the first people to build in a neighborhood? The benefits can be great. We were fortunate enough to take advantage of the amazing incentives that the builder was offering to get the neighborhood started.  After four years of living in the home, we were able to sell it and make a great profit! 

As with any big decision in your life, it is important to consider all of the angles.  Some of the points that I have brought up in this series may not be of much consequence to some folks, while to others they may be a deal breaker.  You have to decide for yourself whether or not the pros outweigh the cons when considering "to build, or not to build".  If there is anything that I can do to help or if there are any questions that I can answer, please don't hesitate to contact me. 

"To build, or not to build", that is the question, Part I

There are lots of points that you need to consider when making the decision to buy a resale or to work with an area builder. In this two part series we will uncover some of the most important things to be aware of. There are a lot of benefits to building, but those benefits can come with some sacrifices, some of which you may not have thought of yet. I am going to put together a "considerations" list that you can use in your decision making process. I will be restating the obvious (for the sake of being thorough - bare with me here) as well as digging into some situations that I have personally experienced when working with new home clients that will hopefully provide some valuable foresight (at the expense of some others' hindsight).

On to the list...

1. Time - Obviously everyone's situation is different so you need to consider how much of a factor time will be in your process. We all know the saying "Time is money" so this should be one of your very first considerations. Within the "time" slot on this list we will bring up 3 important factors with regards to time. The first consideration is how long it will take to build your house. Some builders can finish a house (or townhouse) in as little as 90 days. Other builders take up to 6 months or more to complete a home and if you opt-in for full custom home your build time could stretch to a year and beyond. The timing brings up other things to think about like where you will live while you are building and where and how to store all your furniture during the building process. The second consideration is how much time you have to devote to making decisions about how your house will be built. This could be as little as a couple of appointments to pick out your carpet and hardwood colors and possibly some interior options such as light fixture packages and counter-tops.  On the flip side you could create another full time job for yourself by building a custom home and have to make every decision down to the door stops and selecting every single light fixture in the house (trust me - I know). The third consideration is the interest rate timing. You generally cannot lock in an interest rate until 30-60 days before you close depending on the type of loan you are getting.  With that being true, sometimes your budget can become a moving target based on what the rates are doing closer to your closing date.  However, many lenders offer extended rate locks to give you more time to close.  You may want to find out what kind of locks different mortgage companies are offering and how much they cost to help with your decision.  With regards to timing, purchasing a resale is often the faster route to take, but there are many benefits to building new that could outweigh timing as you will read in the next section.

2. Selections and Warranties - As I see it there are two big advantages that new homes have versus resales.  The first one is having the ability to make your own choices.  When you build a home you will have the ability to choose things like what type of cabinets will be installed, the color and type of countertops you'll have, what kind of flooring will be in different rooms and more.  It will all be installed and done by the time you move in.  When looking at resales of course anything in the home can be changed, but it will often be done after you have already moved in which could potentially be a headache.  The other big advantage is the builder's and manufacturer's warranties.  Most builder's offer warranties on workmanship, mechanical items and structural items.  The length of time for these will vary from builder to builder.  It is important to find out the details of your builder's warranties.  Additionally, there are often warranties given by the manufacturers on items such as appliances, windows, roof shingles, etc.

That's all for now.  Please check back soon to learn more in Part 2 of this series.  You can also become a follower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/StephMcCaskill where I announce updates to my blog and more.  For more information about buying a home, check out my website at http://www.NewHomeProInCharlotte.com

What's in a name?

Hello, and welcome to my Blog. As you might have guessed from the name of the Blog, the main topic being discussed is new home building in the greater Charlotte area. I will be covering everything from the builders that build in this area, to the great neighborhoods that we have near by as well as a multitude of items that will help you get the most out of your new home buying experience.  The next question that you may ask is "Who are you and what makes you think that you are qualified to write anything in a Blog about any of these items?", so I may want to get to the introduction quickly...

Let's start with my background. I have worked here in Charlotte for more than a decade in the real estate industry. Over eight of those years have been spent working as a sales representative for the largest builder in the Charlotte area. During my tenure there (I have made the shift to general brokerage working as a new home sales specialist - more about this later) I had the pleasure of selling homes in many neighborhoods across the Charlotte area, so my knowledge of the South Charlotte building scene is very good and growing on a daily basis. I have sold more than 40 floor plans covering everything from $130K townhomes up to $1,000,000 single family homes and have sold against pretty much every other builder in the area as well. With the in depth competitive analysis that I used to do on a weekly basis, I mastered not only my products, but most of my competitions products as well.

I hope to cover a lot of my experiences in this Blog and make it educational as well as a little entertaining. I hope you will subscribe and become a follower. Feel free to ask questions through the comments section and if you find yourself interested in what the Charlotte area new home market has to offer, give me a call!

I thought I would wrap this up by giving you some insight as to what to expect in the future:

Builder Spotlights - In these segments I will try to give you some back ground information on what kinds of products they build, where they build them and how they build them. I will probably try to do an interview with the management of each company to give you their personal insights on the industry.

Neighborhood Spotlights - In these segments I will review the location, amenities, types of floor-plans available and offer a link to a photo-album via Google Picasa so that you can check the neighborhood out for yourself. I may even get some quotes from the sales representative on location about what makes their neighborhood great.

Home Building 101 - This segment will provide general information to make your new home buying experience the best it can be. This will include things like what questions to ask the sales representative, what types of things to look out for in the neighborhood, what floor-plan options are really worth it and things to put you at ease from contract to closing. 

Thanks for reading and don't forget to subscribe!